Page 267 - 2019 Orientation Manual

Access to Justice Fund

The Access to Justice Fund is an LBF Fund which supports specific access to justice needs
related to at least one of the following issues: Statewide Technology, Statewide Intake and
Referral, or Disaster Response.
The ATJ Committee acts much like an LBF Partnership Panel in identifying eligible
projects and recommending allocation of funds to LBF approved grantees. The source of
fund comes through an LSBA dues check-off which allows attorneys to make a financial
contribution to civil legal aid. In past years, the majority of these funds have supported the
statewide uniform cases management system and the Louisiana Civil Justice Center.

Pro Hac Vice Fee Increase

The Access to Justice Committee was successful in encouraging the Louisiana Supreme
Court to revise their Rule XVII Section 13A(4)(ii) which increases the pro hac vice fee
from $250 to $450 per admission filed by out-of-state lawyers not licensed to practice law
in Louisiana. The $200 increase, an amount equal to LSBA dues, will be used to support
the work of Louisiana’s Legal Service Corporation funded civil legal services programs.
The specifics are included in an agreement between Louisiana Bar Foundation and the
Louisiana Disciplinary Board (LADB) which collects these fees. Funds are distributed to
the beneficiaries annually through the LBF’s grant process.

Language Access Committee
This committee works to support the ongoing efforts of the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Court
Interpreters Project and to expand efforts to ensure litigants in Louisiana’s court are not denied
access due process because of an inability to communicate with court personnel. The Committee
developed a revised Attorneys’ Reference Guide for engaging interpreters, to give attorneys
information about using interpreters in legal matters. Two surveys have been conducted to learn
more about interpreter and attorney’s experiences in the court system. Volunteer attorneys
completed a review of language access approaches used in select states. Using this review as well
as survey data, the Committee plans to identify best practices for recommendation to the
Commission. The Committee is also planning a CLE to be given late summer or early fall, to
provide information and tips in how to best engage interpreters for limited-English proficient
individuals in court hearings.

Modest Means Committee, Chair Virginia Listach

In 2016, Commission members unanimously agreed to create a Committee focused on addressing
the limited access to legal representation for persons falling just above the income eligibility
requirements for free legal services, but priced out of traditional market rate legal services,
commonly referred to as modest means clients. To increase access to legal representation for the
modest means population, the Committee created the LSBA Modest Means Online Legal
Directory. Those who are income eligible may view the contact information of attorneys offering
reduced cost legal services through alternative fee arrangements or through limited scope
representation. In creating the Directory, the Modest Means Committee surveyed LSBA members

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